Kenya business community propose changes in the electoral date to cushion them against losses
Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) argues holding elections in the middle of the year is economically taxing and not a good idea.
With barely three weeks before the D Day arrives, already there is political tension in the country, business is slow and the economy is struggling.
Complicating matters even more, National Super Alliance (NASA) Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga yesterday withdrew from the fresh elections
Both ruling Jubilee and opposition NASA politicians have been trading insults and accusations, heightening fears of violence.
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Therefore it is still unclear if Kenya may even hold the said elections in the first place.
So given a choice, Kenya business community led by Chamber of Commerce would rather the elections are not held on August, not even on October but on December.
Mr. Kiprono Kittony, Chairman of the newly revamped Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) as well as the chairman of the Radio Africa Group and recently appointed Vice Chairman of World Chambers Federation (WCF) thinks elections in the middle of the year is not a good idea.
“During elections, we do have a decline in economic activities and that is why if you have been watching I have been advocating we push elections to December, yeah because December is the month we go home anyway and relax, most people take their vacations like the people in Europe.” He said.
Speaking during a monthly policy breakfast meeting organized by Strathmore Business School on the Private Sector Resilience and the 2017 Elections Mr. Kittony argued that holding elections in December is not only economically sensible but also the most logical thing.
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“So my argument has been that we have and we will still walk the journey of an election day being business as usual but we will get there one day so let us not lose hope and so if we do have a possibility of a referendum one of the things that we will definitely advocate as a chamber is a December elections where we have elections on December 22nd most people are at home they are on vacations there are so many days there, Christmass Boxing and so those days we can have because anyway we have low business activities but in the middle of August no economic activity, not good.” He added.
Local traders have also been complaining of the slow business witnessed since early this mid this year after elections fever swiped across the country.
Kenya initially used to hold elections in December until 2010 constitution was promulgated effectively changing the dates.
Article 101 of Kenyan constitution state elections shall be held on the second Tuesday in August of every 5th year.
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